If they are offering a touchdown and a hook for the #1 team in the nation, you almost have to take it. For a spread this high against an unbeaten top-ranked team, I would expect a major injury, or several, on the side getting the points. Otherwise, it simply doesn't make much sense. This will be a night game in South Bend, but the Fighting Irish are in the same boat as the Hurricanes. Neither team has truly faced an opponent with the level of talent they will see Saturday night, which makes seven and a half points feel like a bit too much.
Miami went on the road and beat Wake Forest, then followed that up with less-than-impressive performances against Florida State and North Carolina. That said, the important thing to remember is that the Hurricanes still found a way to win all three games. Notre Dame has looked impressive for much of the season, but their biggest test came against BYU, and the Irish came up four points short. It's also hard to forget that Michigan State traveled to South Bend, held Notre Dame to just 27 points and still managed to stay within 17. Miami is a completely different animal than the Spartans, and at +7.5, it's simply too difficult to look the other way.
Miami's No. 2 offense will face Notre Dame's No. 1 defense, however, many people forget that the Irish control a lot of games on the ground, and Miami allows just 60.8 rushing yards per contest. Both teams feature ace quarterbacks in Darian Mensah and CJ Carr, two names that strike fear into defenses nationwide, which is yet another reminder of how similar these teams really are. The difference is that one team is getting more than a touchdown worth of points. I have this game much closer than the spread suggests. Notre Dame is the likely winner, but with a touchdown and a hook in my pocket, give me the #1 team in the nation.
Notre Dame vs Miami prediction: Miami Hurricanes +7.5 (-115) available at time of publishing. Playable to +7 (-120).
